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FOOD FUN FACT: "Change Your Career... and Your Life!" |
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Brought to you by: www.bostonhealthcoach.com
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 Change Your Food... Change Your Career! My entire life changed 7 years ago when I enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in NYC. I consider IIN to be the most valuable investment I've ever made in myself. I never could have anticipated how much the IIN program would transform my food, my health, my relationships, my career (!), and my possibilities in life. More than 10 of my former health counseling clients have gone on to attend IIN and start their own health counseling businesses - how cool is that?! My business has generated over $250,000 in revenue over the last few years... even though I've taken two maternity sabbaticals and drastically reduced my work hours. I couldn't have done this without my experience at IIN. This is the last year of IIN's live Professional Training Program--there less than 100 seats left. If you are interested in attending IIN, but don't want to commute to NYC like I did, you can take advantage of their first ever Distance Learning Program - please see the IIN website for more information. As a graduate of the school, I am able to offer you a $500 Fall Tuition Scholarship to either the live program or distance learning program if you mention my name when you enroll this month (discount cannot be applied retro-actively or combined with other offers.) I get several email inquiries a day from folks interested in IIN. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have (just make sure to read through the IIN website and my website first to educate yourself... and then email me any remaining questions you have - the more specific, the better).
If You Don't Want to Get the Flu... Here's What to Do!
If you read my most recent article, you know that I am not getting the flu vaccine (and neither are my kids). We haven't gotten the vaccine in past years, and I still haven't discovered a compelling reason to get the vaccine this year. So, what are we doing to prepare for the winter season? Although we've put a few new solutions in place, our health plan isn't that different than past winters. The swine flu doesn't worry me at all... BUT since I have two kids under the age of 4, I would love to avoid major colds and flus this year.
Here’s the Collins family “Staying Healthy” Program”: LET'S START WITH OUR FOOD, OF COURSE! - Since June, we've increased our intake of raw foods from 10-20% to 50+% of our overall diet. What do I mean by raw foods? Here are some examples of what we’re eating at our house: - Green smoothies in the morning. Green smoothies are very simple. You fill the blender with dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens or spinach... add some frozen or fresh fruit... along with some water... and blend away! See the recipe section on the bottom right corner of this newsletter for a yummy recipe. Greens like kale, swiss chard, and spinach are great immune boosters. - We usually start lunch and dinner with a large salad, or some raw veggies with dip. Note to all you parents out there: my 3 ½ year old was NOT into raw veggies when we started this trend in June, but we persisted... and it paid off big time! (I'll write more about our raw foods changes in an upcoming newsletter). - If we do eat cooked foods like veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, whole grains, or meat, we cook them with lots of garlic, ginger and onions to add immune-boosting power. - We avoid sweet foods as much as possible since sugar compromises the immune system for 4+ hours after consumption. We avoid all processed foods, because we don't want our bodies to waste time and energy trying to figure out what to do with these "non-foods." We also avoid milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and other dairy products... because dairy is a very mucous-forming, congesting food, and we do not need any snot around our house, thank you very much. - We drink tons of water every day, and some herbal teas. I drink stinging nettle infusion throughout the day for extra vitamins and minerals. The only other beverage we drink right now is homemade raw nut milk. We avoid sodas, caffeinated drinks, fruit juice, etc. because those weaken the immune system. - I eat sauerkraut or fermented veggies with lunch and dinner… to strengthen my intestinal flora. Did you know that your gut plays a strong role in the strength of your immune system? Strengthen your gut and you'll get sick less often.
OTHER IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF OUR PLAN: - We spend lots of time outside exercising and moving. We take a walk/bike ride outside every day. This week we've been busy raking leaves and jumping in them! - We get as much sleep as possible. Ben and I have a personal goal of being in bed by 10 p.m. at the latest - he's doing a good job of trying to hold me to this goal! - We wash our hands often with a special homemade combination of Dr. Bronners’ castile soap, lemon essential oil, and Thieves essential oil. - We tell ourselves that we are healthy all the time. If the kids get a runny nose, we tell them "Oh, but your body is so good at healing quickly. Your nose will feel better by the time breakfast is over." You know what? It always works. The power of the mind is truly amazing. - We don't watch the news or read fear-inducing internet articles. The media does a great job of making people afraid and stressed out by inundating us with scary stories about all the impending "flu disasters." Stress makes you sick. If you faithfully watch the news every night - stop this stressful habit right now! Use that extra 30 minutes to sleep or breathe deeply or take a bath. Your stress levels will go down, and you will be healthier for it.
OUR IMMUNE-BOOSTING SUPPLEMENTS: - We each take high daily doses of vitamin D (this is a crucial part of any health plan, not just for preventing colds and flu but also for preventing disease). If you haven’t gotten your 25 hydroxy Vitamin D levels checked in the last few months, I strongly encourage you to do so. Most people need MUCH more than the recommended 400 IU of vitamin D a day. Do research and talk with a health provider to figure out how much you need... - We each take a daily dose of fish oil or cod liver oil (to get our essential fatty acids and boost our immune systems). I take a cod liver oil/butter factor blend (it tastes pretty disgusting, but it works), and Evan takes a salmon-based EFA from New Chapter. - Ben and I take an elderberry tincture from Gaia (elderberry is a powerful antiviral) and somtimes alternate it with Baseline Nutritional's uber-powerful Immunity-Boosting formula. Evan takes Sambucal (a more palatable elderberry formula) which he LOVES. He would drink the whole bottle if I let him. - Did you know that the health of your gut plays a huge role in your overall health? Since my digestion has always been my weakest link, I take prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes daily to strengthen my intestinal tract. My boys both take probiotics daily, too. - We use Thieves oil on our feet and Thieves hand sanitizer when we’re outside the home. I use Thieves spray on our computers, doorknobs, and faucets every few days. Thieves is a powerful essential oil combination that smells like cinnamon. It kills bacteria and viruses and mold like nobody’s business! It’s called Thieves because thieves used to put this oil combination on themselves to protect themselves when robbing people who were sick with the plague. You can’t buy this oil in health food stores, but if you want to order some from Young Living at discounted prices, just email me. Or, you can order them directly from Young Living at retail prices using my distributor number: 973229.
WHAT IF I GET SICK? I'm a nursing mom, so I don't always get as much sleep as I'd like. Last week, we had a couple nights of interrupted sleep, and both Ben and I felt like we were coming down with something. This is what we did:
The verdict? Ben and I never ended up getting sick. This plan works 99% of the time for us. It's good to have it written down, too - that way, if I'm not feeling well, I can just go to my cheat sheet.
WHAT IF WE GET THE SWINE FLU? If, despite our best efforts, we get the swine flu, we will use the remedies above - like Thieves oil, SuperViragon, and homeopathic remedies like Oscillococcinum - to blast it out of our bodies. ** I feel like it's important to mention that I don't mind getting the occasional cold once every year or two. Sure, it's inconvenient and uncomfortable... but it gives my body a chance to fight illness off naturally, and boost its own immunity powers. If I get sick after all of the preventative measures I listed above, I know that my body just needed to get something out of its system... and that's cool, too! I take the cold as a sign that I need some good old-fashioned rest time under the covers with my hot water bottle and lots of tea.
WANT MORE INFO ON STAYING HEALTHY THIS WINTER? This is a great free Natural News podcast on how to prepare your kids (and yourself) for being out and about during the flu season (see podcast #80).
A great article that outlines what to do if you decide to, or are forced to, take the flu vaccine.
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If you got this far, thanks for reading... If you loved the commentary, please let me know... your positive comments keep me going month after month. If you hated the commentary, please let me know... your constructive criticism keeps me on my toes and helps me get more in touch with my readers.
******************************* P.S. If you liked this issue of "Nourishing Nuggets" please forward it along to friends, family, and colleagues. It's a great way to show people you care about their health.
HOLISTIC MOMS NETWORK MEETING - "Creating a Herbal Medicine Chest for Moms and Kids" FOR WHO: Moms, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, or any practitioners interested in holistic parenting WHEN: Tuesday, November 10 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. WHERE: North Andover Library Community Room COST: FREE! For more info, see our HMN website.
"HOW TO SURVIVE THE HOLIDAYS... Without Gaining Weight or Going Crazy!" Teleclass The live call is over, but you can still access the .mp3 recording and all class notes! For more info on this teleclass, click here.
"Stress Management Made Simple" The live call is over, but you can still access the .mp3 recording and all class notes! For more info on this teleclass, click here.
"Your Winter Survival Guide: How to Protect Your Health and Your Sanity this Winter " This popular eBook will help you make this your best Winter ever. Learn how to protect your skin, boost your mood, avoid the Winter Blues, avoid sugar cravings and winter weight gain. For more info on this eBook, click here.
"Eating to Survive the First Years of Motherhood" This popular eBook helps new moms and experienced moms alike figure out a step-by-step plan to get healthy food into their bodies. For more info on this eBook, click here.
"How to Write a Powerful Lecture... in Less than 60 Minutes" This is a teleclass for health practitioners who are looking to build their businesses quickly, without getting stressed out or reinventing the wheel. The live call is over, but you can still access the .mp3 recording and all class notes! For more info on this teleclass, click here.
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If you are looking for inspiration around healthy living, please check out the archived copy of all past teleclasses and healthy living products that I keep on my website.
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MAKE SMARTER FOOD BUYING DECISIONS
I love hearing from former clients. This month, I got several emails from Renee, one of the very first clients I worked with when I became a holistic health counselor.
Renee's life changed so much from our sessions that she enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition last year, and is now running a health counseling business of her own, specializing in gluten-free living. I'm so proud of her! This week, Renee ordered my Healthy Shopper DVD (a professional DVD that follows me through one of my popular tours of a local Whole Foods). I just received this testimonial from Renee (and her husband, Bob): "Bob and I started watching the DVD last night (it was awesome!). I had to go out for a little while, and usually if we are watching something together, he'll change to the sports channel when I get up. But when I came home he said he had watched the whole DVD!! And he said it was very great and interesting." I think it's totally cool that my DVD appealed to both Renee and her husband (I don't even know if my husband has watched the whole thing!). This Healthy Shopper DVD would make a great stocking stuffer for the health-conscious folks in your life. It's not only interesting to husbands, but it appeals to kids, too! Listen to what Sarah had to say about the "kid appeal" of the DVD: "I was REALLY IMPRESSED with your Healthy Shopper DVD. It was not only full of great information and tips, but it was beautifully produced too. I was surprised by how professional it was! Not only did I like it, but my 5 year-old-son and my 2 year-old- daughter loved it too! You're a celebrity at our house now. My kids want to meet you and "play at your house" (the highest compliment) but more importantly -- they want me to bring home some beets & daikon radish to try! (I bet you didn't even realize you were making a kid-friendly video!)." - Sarah Zeldman, Solutions For Busy Moms To learn more about the DVD or purchase your copy... click here.
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RECIPE: Green Flu-Be-Gone Smoothie I know that smoothies aren't really "fall foods" but they contain greens, which are a great way to fight colds and keep your body strong in the winter months. I've been drinking a green smoothie for breakfast every morning since June. I'll highlight green smoothie fun in another newsletter... but for now I want to inspire you just to try one! My parents came to visit in September, and by the end of their visit, they were hooked - they now drink a green smoothie every morning, too (they've even started adding asparagus to theirs!). All you need is a blender to get started. Ingredients: - a banana - some kale, spinach, lettuce greens, swiss chard, collard greens, or any kind of greens you've got around!** - frozen fruit - blueberries*, pineapple or mango work great - an apple - some water ( 1/2-1 cup, depending on desired thickness)
Instructions: Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend!
** If the thought of putting greens in your smoothie totally grosses you out, try just putting 1 stalk of kale or swiss chard in there to start... or just a few leaves of spinach or romaine lettuce. Once you get used to that taste, you can add a bit more greens. Gradually work your way up until you fill the entire blender with greens. * Adding the frozen blueberries will turn the smoothie purple, so you can get kids to drink it. If you don't have a sweet tooth, you could eliminate some of the fruit... if you have a really strong sweet tooth and are used to cinnabuns for breakfast, then you could add some raw honey the first couple days until you wean off that need for extra-sweet taste in the morning. - I usually drink at least 32 ounces of this mixture in the morning. This smoothie may not fill you up all morning at first, so feel free to have a bowl of oatmeal, an egg or two - whatever you usually eat for breakfast. But wait at least 1/2 hour after drinking the smoothie so that the fruit will be out of your stomach before you introduce new food to your belly. This will allow for easy digestion.
Check out other Delicious Fall Recipes, including pumpkin cocoa chili and masala chai!
ABOUT CHRISTI
Christi Collins, H.H.C., AADP, is a Certified Holistic Health Counselor accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. **Are you wondering what a Holistic Health Counselor is? This description may help! Christi studied Eastern/Western nutrition and modern health counseling at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. She is addicted to learning about nutrition and wellness, and is constantly experimenting with her own food and self-care. Christi's goal is to help people fall in love with "The Big Three": Healthy Eating, Juicy Living, and Guilt-Free Self-Care. She works with very busy women who are struggling to eat healthy and take insanely good care of themselves... without feeling stressed or guilty about it. Christi is a three-time marathoner and triathlete, an avid pianist, and a mom to Henry and Evan. To read more fun facts and stories about Christi, click here. These days, Christi is best reached by email. She is not working with individual clients at the moment, but will be happy to refer you to another holistic health counselor.
To visit her website, click here.
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About "Christi's Nourishing Nuggets" To subscribe to this monthly newsletter, enter your email here: To Access All Past Newsletter Issues: http://www.bostonhealthcoach.com/resources_newsletter.html © 2009 Boston Health Coach, All rights reserved. You have my permission to use material from the Nourishing Nuggets newsletter in whole or in part, as long as you include the complete attribution as listed below, including live web site link. Please also notify me where the material will appear before you publish it. The attribution should read: "By Christi Collins of Boston Health Coach. Please visit Christi's website at www.bostonhealthcoach.com for additional articles and resources on healthy eating, juicy living, and guilt-free self-care." (Make sure the link is live if placed in an eZine or in a web site.) Privacy Policy: I do not rent, trade or sell my email list to anyone for any reason whatsoever. You won't get an email from a stranger as a result of joining this newsletter list. Note: the information in this newsletter is presented for educational purposes only. This information is not intended as a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by a licensed professional. To suggest topics for future Christi's "Nourishing Nuggets " issues, please contact me. If you no longer wish to receive any communication from Boston Health Coach, click here. To update your contact information, click here.
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